Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to an image capturing control apparatus and a method for controlling the image capturing control apparatus, and in particular, to a technique for switching between automatic setting of a specific setting relating to image capturing and setting of the specific setting based on an amount of a user operation.
Description of the Related Art
A technique for switching between automatic setting of a specific setting relating to image capturing and manual setting of the specific setting is known. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-39206 discusses a technique in which, in a case where an autofocus (AF) mode is set, AF processing is performed in response to an instruction to prepare for image capturing, and while an apparatus is on standby for image capturing and no instruction to prepare for image capturing is given, the AF mode can be switched to a manual focus (MF) mode in response to a ring rotation operation. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-337278 discusses a technique in which, in a continuous AF mode, the AF adjustment is started when an AF start switch is turned on, and the AF mode is switched to the MF mode with an operation to rotate a focusing ring performed while the AF adjustment is continuously executed. In the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-337278, after the AF mode is switched to the MF mode by the operation to rotate the focusing ring, the focusing mode is not switched to the AF mode unless the AF start switch is turned on again. As used herein, the term “image capturing” refers to an operation to capture an image with an image sensor and record the captured image.
Meanwhile, there have been demands for, after AF adjustment is executed, switching of the focusing mode to the MF mode immediately before execution of image capturing so that a user can perform precise focus adjustment as desired. However, in the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-39206, when the switching to the MF mode is performed with the ring rotation operation, switching from the AF mode to the MF mode cannot be performed during the preparation period for image capturing. In the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-337278, switching to the MF mode can be performed with the focusing ring rotation operation after the AF start switch is turned on to switch to the AF mode. In this technique, however, when a user wishes to set the MF mode only for a temporary period before execution of image capturing, the user needs to operate the AF start switch again in order to return to the AF mode. There may be a case where the user wishes to perform focus adjustment in the MF mode not for a temporary period before execution of image capturing but even in the image capturing standby period or after the image capturing preparation instruction.